The present invention relates to a method of transmitting information between information sending equipment and information receiving equipment.
As a fundamental method of a method of transmitting information between information sending equipment and information receiving equipment, there has hitherto been known a communication method using a content code disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,479. In this method, the information sending equipment adds a content code indicative of data contents to the data and sends such data. On the other hand, the information receiving equipment judges based on previously-designated content codes whether or not the reception side user effects a selective reception of the data, i.e. whether or not the reception side user receives the data.
According to this method, the information sending equipment side or the system administrator or manager decides the numbers of a plurality of content codes and the meanings thereof. The information receiving equipment side learns the numbers of content codes that can be used and the meanings thereof in advance by some method, selects content codes necessary for its own receiving equipment, and sets the selected content codes in a manual fashion.
Let us consider the case in which commercial/advertisement information concerning a certain merchandise is distributed to ordinary users in the home by using a communication satellite and a network. Also, in this case, let it be assumed that a market strategy officer or commercial/advertisement information provider considers that such merchandise should be distributed to only the users of "twenties/female/TOKYO" as a market strategy. According to the content code communication method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,479, initially, the market strategy officer determines a content code expressing "for twenties/female/TOKYO" as "1001", for example, and sends data of such content code to the user on the information receiving side by some method. Then, if the user on the information receiving side wants to obtain the data sent in the form of the content code "1001", i.e. data suited for "twenties/female/TOKYO", then the user on the information receiving side has to set this content code "1001" in its own receiving equipment as a necessary content code in a manual fashion.
Then, when the market strategy officer considers that another merchandise should be distributed to only users suited for "twenties/female", the market strategy officer determines the content code expressing "twenties/female" as a content code "1002", for example, and sends data of such content code to the user on the information receiving side by some method. Then, if the user on the information receiving side wants to obtain data sent in the form of the content code "1002", i.e. data suited for "twenties/female", then the user on the information receiving side has to set such content code "1002" in its own receiving equipment as a necessary content code in a manual fashion.
It is frequently observed that the market strategy officer sets/changes the market strategy. In addition, it is also frequently observed that there exist two strategies having an important difference from a market strategy standpoint although the two strategies resemble like "twenties/female/TOKYO" and "twenties/female". From a standpoint of the user on the information receiving equipment, it is very cumbersome for such user to set the content code in its own receiving equipment in a manual fashion each time the strategy is set frequently and modified delicately.
Moreover, the above-mentioned content code communication method is characterized in that the user on the information receiving side is allowed to set only a necessary content code of its own will. Accordingly, there is no other way that data is selected and received by the user on the information receiving side of its own will. For example, unless the information receiving side user sets the content code "1001", there is then presented the problem that the strategy for distributing the merchandise advertisement to the users of "twenties/female/TOKYO" becomes ineffective substantially. That is, there is the problem that the market strategy officer on the information sending side cannot urge the user on the information receiving side to selectively receive the merchandise advertisement as the strategy officer has expected to be in the market strategy.
A similar problem will occur not only when the above-mentioned commercial/advertisement information is distributed but also when ordinary information is distributed. In other words, the information sender cannot combine properties of receivers in such various fashions that only a target receiver may selectively receive information.
Also, according to the content code communication method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,479, the receiving side user in the information receiving equipment selectively receives data based on the previously-designated content code. As a consequence, even when data are received a plurality of times during a certain constant period of time, it is unavoidable that such receiving side user receives every data.
Therefore, even when the user wants to receive data of the fixed number (e.g. a piece of data) during a certain constant period of time, this becomes impossible. When merchandise advertisement information is distributed in the 30-second commercial time zone in a television program, only one merchandise advertisement information can be received and displayed in a time period of 30 seconds in a real time fashion. If it is considered that an advertisement of a merchandise A is provided to the users of "twenties/female/TOKYO" and an advertisement of a merchandise B is provided to the users of "twenties/female" during a time period of 30 second according to the same market strategy, then it is unavoidable that the user of "twenties/female/TOKYO" receive merchandise information of both the A and B merchandises because the property "twenties/female/TOKYO" is contained in the property "twenties/female". There is then presented the problem that the information receiving equipment is unable to determine which of the advertisements of the merchandises A and B should be received or displayed.
A similar problem occurs not only in a communication method using a content code (hereinafter referred to as "content code communication method") but also in an address communication method using a protocol containing an ordinary destination address. For example, if a plurality of merchandise advertisement data (information) are distributed during the same time zone and a plurality of data are received/displayed in a real time fashion by designating a user C as a destination address, then the user C can read and understand only merchandise advertisement information of a finite number (maybe one or two) at the same time due to a limit of man's understanding ability.